Symptoms of Hypoparathyroidism

If you have hypoparathyroidism (hypoPARA), either you don’t have parathyroid glands or your parathyroid glands are not producing enough (or any) parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH is essential for maintaining the delicate balance of calcium and phosphorus levels in your blood, so people with hypoparathyroidism are at risk for hypocalcemia (low calcium). Lack of calcium in your blood causes a complex pattern of symptoms in many organ systems, including the bones, heart, skin, kidneys, eyes, brain and nerves.1,3,7

Because of ‘brain fog,’ caused by my hypoparathyroidism, I could no longer comprehend large volumes of information … At one point, my cognitive function had dropped so low that I no longer knew how to walk the two blocks to my wife’s office at the end of my working day … Today I am closely monitored by my physician.

—Ken

Symptoms can be either a result of hypoparathyroidism or the result of taking calcium and active vitamin D to manage the disorder. Because symptoms are tied to the calcium and phosphorus levels in your blood, they may fluctuate (appear, become more intense, subside or disappear), sometimes within short time periods as the levels in your blood go up or down.

Management of hypoparathyroidism often involves taking large doses of calcium and active vitamin D, which must be carefully monitored to help control symptoms. Many doctors recommend calcium levels that are just below the normal range. This is to control the symptoms while trying to avoid or minimize the long-term complications, including kidney problems, soft tissue calcification, cataracts and heart problems.1,3